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The Gunners host Jurgen Klopp's side in the Premier League on Sunday looking to maintain their spot at the top of the table

Arsenal host Liverpool on Sunday as they look to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League. 

Victory would see them open up a 14-point gap over the Reds and it would back up their convincing success over north London derby rivals Spurs last week.

Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s clash with Jurgen Klopp’s side, GOAL takes a look at some of the big pre-match talking points, including the latest Arsenal team news and the predicted starting XI.

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  Arsenal team news

  Arsenal are in good shape heading into Sunday’s game.

  Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny are the two long-term absentees and they will remain sidelined until after the World Cup.

  Oleksandr Zinchenko is a doubt. He was not part of the squad against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League and did not train earlier in the week having limped away from the stadium following the north London derby.

  Arsenal will make a late call on the Ukraine international. If he is not deemed fit enough then Kieran Tierney will come in at left-back.

  Mikel Arteta rotated his squad massively for the Europa League game on Thursday night, leaving out a host of his senior players.

  But they will all return on Sunday as the Gunners look to build on their impressive start to the Premier League season.

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• Talking point

  There’s been lots of talk ahead of the game about whether Arsenal are ready to mount a serious challenge for the title.

  But a lot of that talk has been somewhat premature.

  Whilst the victory against Tottenham in the north London derby was impressive, beating Spurs at home is hardly a rare occurrence for Arsenal.

  In fact, they have beaten their neighbours on home territory in five of their last six league meetings at the Emirates.

  So that 3-1 success on its own does not make them serious contenders. Victory against Liverpool, however, would be a different story.

  Jurgen Klopp’s side have won six of the last seven Premier League meetings between the sides and also came out on top in the League Cup semi-final last season, winning 2-0 in north London.

  So if Arsenal could get the victory this time around then that would be far more of a statement in terms of what it could mean for the rest of the season than the win over Spurs last weekend.

  It would also see them move 14 points clear of Liverpool in the league table, which even at this early stage of the season would be a very big gap to try and close.

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  What has Arteta said?

  When asked by reporters whether Sunday's game was a chance for Arsenal to make a real statement about their ambitions this season, Arteta said: "Every game is the same. It is a big match.

  "It is a fixture everyone is looking for against an opponent that has shown in the last five to six years the level that they have.

  "We have to show against this opponent that we have raised the level and we are ready to compete against them.

  "I am very conscious we can get much better than we are today and there are a lot of aspects that we have to do better to be the team we want to be.

  "The challenge now is to do it every three days."

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  Key man

  From an Arsenal perspective, it has to be Gabriel Jesus.

  Can he get the better of Virgil van Dijk and set the tone for the rest of the team to follow in terms of his pressing and work rate from the front?

  Liverpool have looked shaky at times in defence this season and if Jesus can disrupt the backline and pull them out of position, that will be vital to Arsenal’s hopes of getting a result.

  Jesus has been sensational since joining Arsenal, scoring five goals, but this will be his toughest test to date.

  Liverpool will know that if they can keep the Brazilian quiet, then they will nullify the most potent part of the Arsenal attack.

  And that will allow them to try and take control of the game and get their danger men on the ball.

Peterborough owner Darragh MacAnthony has confirmed conversations over a new deal for Celtic target Siriki Dembele have begun.  

The Lowdown: Celtic’s interest

Celtic have been credited with an interest (Give Me Sport) in the 24-year-old in recent months.

Reports have suggested that a move for Dembele, who is the older brother of Celtic’s young talent Karamoko Dembele, could be part of a plan from the Hoops to keep the 18-year-old at Parkhead.

The Posh striker scored 11 times and registered 12 assists in 42 League One appearances this season, helping Peterborough win promotion to the Championship.

He’s out of contract this summer, however, MacAnthony is now looking to tie him down at London Road.

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The Latest: MacAnthony’s Twitter post

MacAnthony was answering various questions on Twitter on Tuesday, and one involved Dembele.

He was quizzed if the club are close to agreeing on contracts with Dembele, Nathan Thompson and Dan Butler, to which he replied:

“Conversations now beginning with them all yes.”

The Verdict: A shrewd addition?

In our opinion, Celtic should be exploring a possible cut-price deal for Dembele. Not just because that may help keep his younger brother, who has been linked with a move away, at the club (although that may help), but because of his qualities.

The Peterborough man played in three positions during the current campaign, impressing in all of them.

He made 15 appearances as a centre-forward, 13 as a left-winger and 13 as an attacking midfielder, registering goals and assists in all areas.

That could come in handy under the new Hoops boss next season, especially with striker Patryk Klimala recently sealing an exit and winger Mohamed Elyounoussi set to return to Southampton following his loan spell.

In other news: ‘Told from very reliable sources’ – Bournemouth reporter drops huge Eddie Howe to Celtic claim, find out more here. 

The World Cup champions romped to a 5-0 win in a friendly match, with a Mbappe brace plus goals from Giroud, Ben Yedder and Guendouzi sealing it for …

It's questionable as to whether Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos sent out the best available XI against France on Tuesday night.

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  A footballing lesson

  Bafana Bafana were out-classed, out-muscled and out-thought as they came up short in every department.

  The scoreline could have been worse had France not hit the woodwork a couple of times and had Ronwen Williams not made some great saves.

  It's doubtful a different SA starting XI would have influenced the result, but perhaps Bafana could have done better than they did had head coach Hugo Broos not made some seemingly surprising omissions from his starting XI, which GOAL highlights:

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  Keagan Dolly

  Bafana were all over the place in the first half and could barely keep a hold of the ball. Several of the youngsters lost their composure and Dolly's cool head, assured first touch and strength on the ball, could have helped the visitors to get some kind of foothold into the game. It's difficult to see why Lyle Foster, ineffective against Guinea, started in front of the Kaizer Chiefs attacker.

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  Bandile Shandu

  The Orlando Pirates player has been one of the best performers in the PSL this season and was also excellent against Guinea in the previous Bafana game. Instead, Broos started the more attack-minded Fagrie Lakay on the right wing, which left right-back Nyiko Mobbie exposed.

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  Khuliso Mudau

  Mudau was probably Bafana Bafana's man of the match against Guinea, so why drop him to the bench in place of Mobbie? Mudau should have been allowed to continue his promising partnership with Shandu. By the time Mudau was brought on, France were all over South Africa and his frustration ended in a red card.

After one of the most remarkable European Cups in recent memory, Goal picks out the top performers from this year's competition

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  Alisson

  What a difference a great goalkeeper makes!

  This time last year, Liverpool were left counting the cost of Loris Karius' calamitous errors in their Champions League final showdown with Real Madrid. Now, they are heralding Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the world after the Brazilian helped them claim a sixth European Cup.

  Nobody made more saves than the Selecao No.1 in this season's tournament (46), he racked up the most recoveries (119), while his save percentage was better than any other shot-stopper to have made the knockout stage (79).

  It's fair to say that the £56 million ($71m) Liverpool paid Roma for Alisson last summer was money well spent.

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold

  Trent Alexander-Arnold may have been reluctant to accept any plaudits for the moment of inspiration that eliminated Barcelona in the semi-finals but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp didn't hold back when it came to the quickly-taken corner which caught the Catalans napping at Anfield: "Oh my God, genius!"

  Of course, we shouldn't have been surprised by Alexander-Arnold's deadly delivery. This, after all, is the man who this season broke the Premier League assists record for a defender (12).

  The 20-year-old hometown hero has been just as impressive in the Champions League.

  Alexander-Arnold's ranked second for successful crosses (22) and third for chances created (22) among defenders but it's also worth pointing out that he finished fifth for interceptions (18) and second for recoveries (78), only further emphasising his all-round excellence and perceptive reading of the game.

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  Virgil van Dijk

  Virgil van Dijk cost Liverpool £75m ($95m) yet that record-breaking fee for a defender is now looking like one of the best deals in the club's long and illustrious history.

  Since his arrival at Anfield in January 2018, the Reds have reached back-to-back Champions League finals, primarily due to the way in which the Dutch centre-half has completely transformed Jurgen Klopp's backline.

  Liverpool may have struggled on the road during the group stage, while Van Dijk had a rare off night against Barcelona at Camp Nou, but he has been colossal for the most part, even chipping with a couple of goals, the first of which was the killer second goal in the away win at Bayern Munich in the last 16.

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  Matthijs de Ligt

  "It's a dream getting crushed," Matthijs de Ligt admitted after Ajax's semi-final elimination against Tottenham. "I would have loved to play the final, but it's not happening."

  It may not have happened this year but, if the 19-year-old defender's performances in this season's tournament are anything to go by, it's only a matter of time before De Ligt realises his dream.

  The youngest captain in Ajax's history led his side to the last four with grace, grit and no end of inspiration, typified by the towering header which saw the Dutch champions knock out Juventus in their own backyard in Turin.

  De Ligt ranked second among defenders for recoveries, aerials won and possession won and whomever manages to sign him this summer will be acquiring one of the best centre-halves in the world.

As the new year looms, Goal looks back on some of the best and most significant moments in football during the last 12 months

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  Messi's audacious Clasico shirt celebration

  Back in April, as the 2016-17 Liga title race was heading towards a heated finale, Real Madrid and Barcelona locked horns at the Bernabeu. Barca came into the clash at the Bernabeu behind their bitter rivals and needed a win to haul themselves back into the title race.

  Things got off to a bad start for the Blaugrana as Casemiro fired Real ahead, but Lionel Messi cancelled it out five minutes later. Ivan Rakitic then put Barca ahead mid-way through the second half, but James Rodriguez struck in the final five minutes to haul Madrid level. However, Messi rose to the occasion once again, blasting the winner past Keylor Navas in the 92nd minute. 

  What followed was one of the most iconic images of 2017 and certainly one that will endure in the annals of Clasico history as Messi coolly held aloft his shirt in front of Real Madrid fans to mark his 500th Barca goal and the one that saw him overtake Alfredo Di Stefano as the all-time Clasico top scorer.

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  Messi single-handedly dragging Argentina to the World Cup

  As the CONMEBOL World Cup qualification cycle came to a conclusion it looked like Argentina might not make it. Defeats to Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Ecuador, as well as too many draws, left the Albiceleste needing a win in their final in order to ensure their safe passage to Russia in 2018.

  The game against Ecuador in Quito got off to a disastrous start as Romario Ibarra shot Los Amarillos in front after the first minute and it looked like Jorge Sampaoli's men were set to miss out on a place at the world's biggest tournament for the first time since 1970.

  However, Messi was in no mood for such a narrative and he scored two goals within 10 minutes to put his country ahead before putting the icing on the cake with his hat-trick strike in the final 10 minutes. The Barcelona star had rescued his country and ensured that his talents will grace a fourth World Cup.

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  The retirement of Francesco Totti

  May 28, 2017 was an emotional day in Italy as one of its greatest sporting heroes brought the curtain down on his career. After 25 years, Francesco Totti finally called it a day and he was given his swan song as a second-half substitute in Roma's 3-2 victory over Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico.

  The World Cup winner bid farewell to the faithful with a passionate and tearful address, delivered from the pitch and it is a moment that will, no doubt live long in the memory.

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  Real Madrid win consecutive Champions Leagues

  Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the Champions League and they made yet more history in June 2017 when they became the first team to successfully defend the trophy in the modern era.

  Real won the European Cup four years in succession in the 1950s, while Bayern Munich and Ajax each won it three times in a row in the 1970s. AC Milan won it twice in a row in the late 1980s, but notably no club had managed the feat since the adoption of the new format in 1992.

  Los Blancos blew Juventus away in the final, easily beating the Italian champions 4-1 in Cardiff, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice.

As part of the NxGn series, Goal takes a look at the most promising young players in the U.S. national team talent pool

The U.S. national team youth movement is in full swing, and we have already seen some teenagers break in early as they look to help the United States rebuild after failing to qualify for the World Cup.

The battle for playing time in Major League Soccer for teenage players continues to be a point of contention, with more and more fans calling for teams to "play their kids." Tyler Adams is leading the charge on that front as one of the New York Red Bulls' top players, while D.C. United's Chris Durkin has started to earn minutes with his club after making his MLS debut earlier this season.

Tim Weah earned his first U.S. cap in Tuesday's friendly win against Paraguay, capping a whirlwind start to 2018 that saw him make his first-team debut with Paris Saint-Germain. The 18-year-old forward has seen his stock rise considerably since impressing at last year's U-17 World Cup.

With Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie set to leave the teenage ranks with birthdays later this year, here is a look at the best American prospects born after 1998.

• 1Ulysses Llanez, LA Galaxy II

  Regarded as the top American prospect born in 2002, Llanez narrowly missed out making last year's U-17 World Cup squad and is already establishing himself as a top candidate for the next U.S. U-20 team. He impressed at the LA Galaxy's preseason training camp and, after making his pro debut with Galaxy II in 2017, Llanez should see an increased role this year with the USL side.

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  2Manny Perez, North Carolina State

  The U.S. Under-20 national team defender is an exciting right back prospect who would have been a top two pick in the 2018 MLS draft had he chosen to sign the Generation Adidas offer made to him. A solid defender who is dangerous in the attack, Perez should turn pro soon and is already generating interest from European scouts.

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  3Andrew Carleton, Atlanta United

  The former U.S. Under-17 national team playmaker enjoyed a breakout showing at the U-17 World Cup last year, but the question now is when and if he will have his chance with Atlanta United. Minutes have been tough to come by in 2018, but he has shown glimpses that suggest he could handle an increased role.

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  4Jonathan Amon, Nordsjaelland

  A speedy winger who started generating buzz after breaking through at Danish club Nordsjaelland at the end of 2017, Amon is a South Carolina native who could emerge as solid left wing option in the upcoming U.S. Under-20 national team cycle. Left wingers are hard to come by, and he's showing himself to be a dangerous one, although he's been sidelined by injury in recent months. He turned heads at the U.S. youth national team super camp in January.

Charlton Athletic midfielder Marcus Maddison has announced he is taking a break from football after having his loan spell at Bolton Wanderers cut short this week.

The 27-year-old wouldn’t have been able to feature for the Addicks anyway, so it gives him an opportunity to evaluate his options for the long term, having cited the “abuse, pressures and monotony” of football finally getting to him.

In the summer, Maddison was released by Peterborough United after a six-year stint, and it was Lee Bowyer and the southeast Londoners that finally took a punt on him in October.

The former Hull City loanee agreed to a one-year deal with the option of a second as the third new arrival of the Thomas Sangaard era, so that does leave the Addicks with a decision to make themselves.

“He brings goals. His stats over the last few years are excellent, he regularly gets to double figures in goals and gets a lot of assists, so he brings about 25 goals to a team in a season, claimed Bowyer. “He’s an experienced player that knows this league inside out.”

Indeed, Maddison’s vast experience in this division was an appealing attribute. He has played 220 times in League One, where he has provided 53 goals and 76 assists, via Transfermarkt.

But after just two goals in ten appearances, he was shipped out on loan to League Two but again, struggled for game time starting just four matches for Ian Evatt’s side.

Bowyer’s attitude towards him soon changed within months, as following his loan move in February, he told the official website: “We took a gamble bringing him in, but it hasn’t quite worked out as we hoped. We wish him the very best for the future.”

That gamble is now something the current Addicks set-up are paying the price for, possibly this was the 44-year-old’s final mistake at The Valley, leaving the likes of Nigel Adkins, Steve Gallen and Sandgaard with a tricky call to make.

Maddison’s potential in this division is undoubted, after all, he was once lauded as an “unbelievable talent” and a “match-winner,” so if Charlton remain in the third tier, it could be worth activating that year extension following some time off but if they don’t, then this may be a risk too far.

Either way, the 27-year-old’s health should be his top priority right now and perhaps a fresh start elsewhere for 2021/22 could be what’s needed.

AND in other news, Adkins could save Sangaard a lot of money this summer in “strong-willed” Charlton gem…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has suggested that Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Danny Ings are very alike.

Ings, who is currently being linked with a move to Manchester City, could be brought into the Etihad this summer to replace Aguero.

The 33-year-old’s contract is up at the end of the season and, according to Sky Sports, the Citizens have identified the Southampton No.9 as a potential successor.

Ings was in brilliant form last term, finishing the 2019/20 Premier League campaign with 22 goals, and Hendrie believes going to Manchester City would be a fabulous move for him as he drew comparisons between the England international and the man he could be replacing.

Discussing the speculation surrounding Ings’ future with FFC, Hendrie said:

“I think this is where Man City are sort of looking at. You compare him to Aguero and there’s a lot of likeness between them. They score goals, creativity. I’ve seen Danny Ings this season and he’s dropped into areas where, you know, he’s almost been in the 10 at times and gone into wide areas, sort of like a free role with [Che] Adams. It’d be a fabulous move for him.”

On the same topic, the former Aston Villa player added:

“Man City, it would be a fabulous signing and obviously for Ings it would be. But, again, it’s just whether he’d get as much game time as what he was getting at Southampton, and that’d be my only question mark.”

Should Aguero indeed leave Manchester City in the summer, one possible destination could be Chelsea. According to the MailOnline, the Blues, as well as Barcelona, are weighing up a move for the Argentina international.

Many Everton fans have been left to slam an update from Patrick Boyland on the fitness of both Ben Godfrey and Tom Davies.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist, both players failed late fitness tests which meant that they could not play for the England U21s in their crucial game against Croatia on Wednesday evening.

Aidy Boothroyd’s team managed to win the match 2-1 in the end without them, but the Young Lions still went crashing out at the group stages of the European Championships.

Nonetheless, the fitness of both Godfrey and Davies has now become a big concern for several members of the Goodison Park faithful, as they play Crystal Palace at home in the Premier League on Monday evening.

Everton fans on Godfrey and Davies fitness update

These supporters of the Merseyside club slammed the update from Boyland on Twitter, with one Toffees fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘unbelievable’:

“Hope that’s not true”

Credit: @nikkiharg

“No. Hope they are fit for our match especially Ben is a must”

Credit: @Efc_sai

“Oh no”

Credit: @jonesyefc

“Unbelievable how can that be at their age ?????????”

Credit: @brougham_kevin

“Eugh.”

Credit: @Phoenix20387

“:( Bad News Boyland”

Credit: @_lauraaj96

In other news, find out what Liverpool dig from one Blues star has been lauded by fans here!

Rangers’ decision to cash in on left-back Declan John in August 2018 looks to have paid off, with the Welsh defender enduring a dramatic fall from grace since leaving Ibrox.

The former Welsh international was signed on a permanent basis from Cardiff City in January 2018, having spent the first half of the season on loan in Glasgow.

However, after making 31 appearances for the club, in which he contributed three goals and four assists, he was sold to Swansea City for £800k in the summer of 2018 following the arrival of Borna Barisic.

Since then, he has managed just 18 appearances for the Swans in all competitions and has quickly fallen down the pecking order at the South Wales club, whilst he also failed to make a single appearance on loan at Sunderland in League One last season, although the campaign was ended early as a result of the current viral outbreak.

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After making no appearances in the first half of the season for Steve Cooper’s side in the current campaign, John was sent out on loan to League Two side Bolton Wanderers, which represents an unfortunate decline since his Ibrox exit.

Although the 25-year-old is impressing in Ian Evatt’s side and has been a big part of their upturn in form, contributing two goals in his 14 appearances so far and averaging a solid 6.83 rating, it seems clear that Steven Gerrard was right to allow him to leave in 2018 despite his brief spell at the club.

The left-back has unsurprisingly also seen his market value decline during the past few years, as having once been valued at £900k following his move to the Liberty Stadium, he is now valued at just £360k.

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Therefore, you could definitely argue that Rangers did very well to sell him for as much as £800k in 2018 and his fall from grace since then emphasises that the Gers made the right decision in getting rid of him.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge transfer boost over £2.7m-rated beast, Wilson must deliver